A call for help against Amazon and Shein: Label Emmaüs, a second-hand online store, denounced on Monday the “unfair competition” from online commerce giants, particularly in the book sector.
“Created in 2016, the solidarity marketplace is increasingly suffering from the commercial practices of digital giants such as Amazon,” details the association, which also attacks the Chinese Shein, Temu and AliExpress, in a press release. Its director, Maud Sarda, attributes the poor shape of Label Emmaüs to inflation and the “deleterious” strategies of the platforms: “incessant” advertising, “ever faster deliveries” and downward prices.
An online campaign to deal with falling sales
To raise awareness, the association is launching a campaign on social networks entitled “All our books are equal”, putting side by side the biography of Abbé Pierre, founder of Emmaüs, and that of Jeff Bezos, CEO of the American behemoth.
In the first months of 2024, monthly visits to Label Emmaüs, which resells clothing, furniture and books donated to the association, fell to 500,000, down 20% compared to the previous year. “For the past year or two, it has started to be really complicated to survive,” declares the co-founder of Label Emmaüs, who calls for more regulation.
The fast-fashion law, “a great lead”
In March, MPs adopted a bill to make fast fashion less attractive, with financial penalties and a ban on advertising. The Senate has yet to vote on this text.
“A great lead,” remarks Maud Sarda, who nevertheless calls for laws to “prevent Shein from offering 8,000 new products per day” or “Amazon from offering free delivery.” This has been prohibited since October 2023 on purchases of new books which cost a total of less than 35 euros.
Label Emmaüs, which derives a third of its income from the resale of books and collects more than 20 million per year, also calls for “promoting the solidarity circulation of books instead of their destruction”. According to a study by the National Publishing Union, 14% of books produced in France in 2022 are destroyed instead of being sold, a less costly option for the publisher than storage.
“We propose to direct these unsold items to all the major associations,” adds Maud Sarda, who suggests donating part of the sales made to pay the copyright fees.
Last year, Emmaüs attacked the online resale platform Vinted, calling on French people to donate their used clothes rather than get a few euros from them on the Internet.